ST: New Worlds, Ep 1 Actions and Consequences
by Katy Jane
Summary: When the colony on Tayos IV is attacked, the crew of the newly commissioned USS Amery must track an invisible nemesis. When they follow them trough a worm hole, the Crew finds themselves in another galaxy, where none of rules they know seem to apply.
1. Chapter 1

Actions and Consequences By: Katy Jane  
  
When the colony on Tayos IV is attacked, the crew of the newly commissioned USS Amery must track an invisible nemesis. When they follow them trough a worm hole, the Crew finds themselves in another galaxy, where none of rules they know seem to apply.  
  
Part 1: Early Launch  
  
Lexander Davis reached for the next hand hold, with a groan she pulled herself up on to a rock ledge. Settling down on the ground she pulled her pack off her back and pulled out her breakfast. This seemed as good of place as any to eat. It was peaceful up here so high on the mountain face, with only the birds for company. The federation colony on Tayos IV lay out before her like a sea of jewels, glittering in the early morning sun. It was the last time she would be seeing the colony, that had been her home her entire life, this way. That afternoon, the USS Amery would be coming to take her family, along with several colonists, to the Delta Quadrant.  
  
It wasn't that she wanted to leave, but she realized that, after almost twenty years commanding the colony, her father could not turn down the opportunity to be a first officer on the most cutting edge ship in the fleet. And it was an opportunity for her also, she would've had to leave to attend the academy anyways, this way she could attend the academy and still be with her family. She had already been accepted to the academy and once they were en route, she would be the first to attend the ships onboard academy. At sixteen she would be the oldest of the "children" on board.  
  
She didn't really consider her self a child anymore at this point. She had finished all high school. And though she still lived with her parents she was quite independent, spending weekends alone up in the mountains, like she was today. She even had a job, working in the medical facility.  
  
Finishing the sandwich she sighed and stood preparing to continue her climb. After rechecking her equipment she positioned her self on the face of the rock and reached up for the next hand hold. Before she had found one she heard a noise. It was not the noise of any of the local wild life, or the wind blowing through the trees below or any of the quiet noises she had come to expect on her frequent trips into the mountains. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see a flock of shuttles, unlike any she had ever seen. They swooped in on the colony like a troop of fighter planes from earths Second World War moving in for the attack. For a moment she stood in shock, unable to think, unable to react. She had to do something, anything. Her hand went to her combadge. Leaving her combadge at home was the one small freedom her parents had not allowed her, and now she was grateful.  
  
"Lexander Davis to Colony Ops." There was no response, the comm. lines were jammed. She watched in horror as the lead ship opened fire on the helpless colony.  
  
=/\=  
  
"Jacob," Sarah Owen careful picked her way between the storage containers. Ever since she was a teenager and she had used this as her own place to hide, she had expected the underground storage facility to smell musty and be filled with dust, but the truth of the matter was that it was quite possibly the cleanest place in the colony. She realized now, of course that it had to be clean to protect some of the sensitive equipment that was stored there. "Jacob Evans I know you're down here so you might as well come out." Sarah sighed and looked around the storage facility once more; she was about ready to give up. She had searched the entire place and still no sign of him.  
  
"It's not fair, consoler."  
  
"Jacob!" Sarah jumped slightly at the unexpected sound of the boy behind her. Quickly she regained her composer and turned to face the boy, kneeling before him. "You're mother's been in my office crying all morning. And Commander Davis has the entire colony looking for you. Why were you hiding down here?"  
  
"I wasn't hiding I was going to run away. I hate this stupid colony," he pouted, "Desert on one side, ocean on the other."  
  
"Why did you run away?"  
  
"I asked mom and dad if I could leave on the Amery. And they said no."  
  
Sarah cocked her head to one side smiled slightly, "Jacob, you can't really expect someone to let their ten year old son go off on a starship alone."  
  
"But I wouldn't be alone. I'd be with my sister."  
  
"Your sister?" Sarah had known the Evans' since they had come to the colony as a young couple, just starting out. Of course she had left to colony for some number of years to attend the academy and serve on a ship but still she was certain that Jacob was their only child.  
  
"Yeah, Cara." The boy scrambled over top of a storage container and retrieved a small knapsack. He reached inside and pulled out a slightly battered PADD. Activating it he handed it to her. She screen showed a image of a young woman in Lieutenant Commander pips and wearing a command red uniform. The family resemblance was certainly there and the name under the picture was Cara Evans. "She's the helmsman. Mom and Dad had her before they left earth, and our grandmother took care of her. I've never met her before, but I'm sure she's very nice."  
  
"Jacob, I don't think." She was interrupted by a loud explosion.  
  
"What was that?" Jacob asked, his eyes wide.  
  
"I don't know." She tapped her combadge, "Owen to Colony Opps, what's happening?"  
  
The only thing to interrupt the silenced that greeted them after the hail was another explosion that shook the facility.  
  
"This is Lieutenant Sara Owen to anyone with in range, please respond." The reply was a jumble of voices, they sounded faint far away. After a moment they were replaced with static. There was another explosion, this time further away and the transmission was cut off completely.  
  
"What's happening," before Sarah could respond there was another explosion, and part of the ceiling fell in on them.  
  
=/\=  
  
=/\=  
  
"She was the most promising pilot to come out of the academy last year"  
  
Captain Harry Kim merely nodded as he watched the 'Flyer class shuttle craft as it glided in and out between the buoys and then arced smoothly back towards Utopia Plantain.  
  
"Ensign Li to shuttle bay three, request permission to dock."  
  
Admiral Kathryn Janeway pressed a button on the console before her, "permission to granted, ensign."  
  
Idly, Harry wondered if the Ensign knew who she was talking to. Soon the shuttle passed through the invisible barrier between the atmosphere of the shuttle bay and the space beyond, and landed neatly on the shuttle bay floor. After a moment the shuttle hatch opened to reveal a young woman of Japanese decent, her jet black hair was swept back in a simple pony tale with a free strand of hair framing each side of her cherub face. Noticing her company she snapped to attention.  
  
"Ensign Mitsu Li?" Janeway regarded the Ensign for a moment, "at ease, before you sprain something."  
  
The ensign relaxed somewhat, with a slightly perplexed expression. "Can I help you, Sirs."  
  
"Yes, I believe you can." Janeway approached the ensign holding out her hand, for Li to shake, "I'm sure you've heard of the Amery."  
  
"Yes, sir. The first of her class; sustainable curse velocity of warp 9.975; 20 decks; crew compliment of more than one thousand officers; crew members and civilians; experimental transwarp and slipstream drives."  
  
"I'm fully aware of the semantics." The admiral said, causing the ensign to blush slightly, "as are you I see."  
  
"I've test piloted myself."  
  
"Yes, I'm aware of that, which is part of why I'm here. It seems that we've found ourselves short a helmsman." Li eyes brightened for a moment. "I understand you had applied for a position on the ship."  
  
"Yes sir." The Ensign's excitement was palatable. It gave Harry a good feeling about her, he would defiantly prefer if his crew truly wanted to be on the ship.  
  
"I just have one question for you ensigns," Harry spoke up for the first time, "do you think you can stand ten years on a starship?"  
  
Mitsu glanced from the captain to the Admiral, "permission to speak freely, sir."  
  
"Granted."  
  
"I was born on a Galaxy Class starship, raised among the stars. My time at the academy was the first time I had ever spent any length of time planet side, and I thought I was going to go nuts. Testing prototypes ships is great and all, but I want. I need to be back out there." With a flourish the ensign pointed towards a view port and out to the stars beyond.  
  
Harry grinned broadly and Janeway turned to him and said, "you see, I told you." The ensign glanced nervously between the two.  
  
"You were right, I believe we've found our helmsman"  
  
"Would you still be interested, Miss Li." Janeway asked  
  
"Yes!," Li almost shouted, then reigning in on her emotions, "I mean yes, ma'am, er. sir."  
  
"Ma'am is fine," Janeway shook her hand, "Congratulations."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"We leave for our final shake down cruse in one hour, do you think you could join us?" Kim asked her crossing her arms.  
  
Her face fell, "unfortunately I'm on duty until 1500 hours."  
  
"Oh, I think we could arrange something, who's your supervisor?"  
  
"Lt. Dav."  
  
"Excuse me." Janeway took a few steps away and tapped her com badge, "Admrial Janeway to Lt. Dav."  
  
"So, do you think you can be packed and ready to go in an hour?" Kim asked.  
  
"I've learned to travel light," Li said with a smile.  
  
"It's all arranged, Report to the bridge in forty five." Janeway was interrupted as both Kim's and her own combadges chimed.  
  
"Admiral Paris to Admiral Janeway and Captain Kim"  
  
"Janeway, here"  
  
"Kim, here"  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but a half an hour ago we received an emergency distress call from the Federation Colony on Tayos IV. We have not been able to contact them since. The nearest ship is almost twenty four hours away but."  
  
"But we can get there a few hours." Both Janeway and Kim looked up at the unexpected sound of Li's voice. She just shrugged.  
  
"She's right. Get you're crew to their stations, Captain, you launch in ten minuets."  
  
"Yes, sir" He cut the signal then turned to Li, "Looks like you're going to have to pack later."  
  
"I'll make do."  
  
=/\=  
  
"If you ask me it was a mistake for Evans to take the posting in the first pace. Ten years with out a promotion. It just doesn't make sense. She could make captain before then easy."  
  
"Well if I know Cara, and I do, once she's made up her mind there's no talking her out of it."  
  
Lt. Commander Cara Evans witnessed the exchange with a bemused expression on her face.  
  
"I still think she should have stayed in the AQ. She might have gotten the XO position on the Pioneer. I here they're promoting Ogden to Captain." The man, who Cara didn't even know shook her head and walked away leaving the older man gazing out the view port at the Amery. In the reflection of the transparent aluminum Cara could make out his weathered features. His face was set with deep wrinkles and wisps of white hair stuck out in all directions. He had a far of look in his face and she knew that he wished he was going to be out there on the ship he had designed.  
  
"It looks like things have come full circle, eh old man?" Cara watched as a slow smile spread over his features and he turned to face her.  
  
"That they have, Bug."  
  
Cara grinned and crossed her arms, "you haven't called me that since I left for the Academy."  
  
He paused for a moment with a thoughtful look in his eyes, "Well, you'll always be my bug, no matter how old you are." He held out his arms and she hurried into them, hugging him tight, "I'm going to miss you."  
  
"I'm gonna miss you too, cap'n." She returned fighting back tears.  
  
"You know, I've always wondered how come you never called me 'grandpa'"  
  
"I don't know." She shrugged breaking their embrace, "I guess."  
  
"Captain Kim to all hands. Report to your stations immediately We launch in . nine minuets."  
  
Cara sighed wiping tears from her eyes, ".I guess that's my cue." She shrugged and began to back a way. "See you in ten years?"  
  
"You better believe it, Bug"  
  
Cara gave him one last smile before turning on her heal and running down the corridor.  
  
=/\=  
  
To Be Continued... 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Answers.  
  
It didn't take Evans long to reach the bridge, the mood was frenzied, she still didn't know what was going on, but she knew that it wasn't good. She took her spot at the helm and began running systems checks and communicating with engineering for systems status. Her eyes left her console only when the turbo lift doors opened again to admit the captain and a tall female ensign in navigator colors.  
  
They had been running shakedown cruises for weeks mostly to pick up members of the crew who had transferred from distant colonies and outposts, like today's trip to Tayos IV to retrieve the first officer and chief consoler, among others. By this time Cara recognized most of the crew members she saw and she certainly recognized all the members of her own staff.  
  
"Incoming message from Starfleet headquarters, priority one."  
  
"Transfer it to my ready room Mr. Zale. Ensign Li, take the helm. As soon as you get clearance from UP take us out and set a course for the Tayos system, maximum warp. Commander," he finally looked to Cara, "you're with me."  
  
Cara turned over the helm and followed the captain, "What's going on, Harry?"  
  
"I'm not sure but we're about to find out." He sat at his desk and motioned for Cara to join him. She stepped up behind his chair as he responded to the message with a few commands to his data terminal. The UFP symbol faded to reveal Admiral Paris, his expression was strained.  
  
"Captain, Lt. Commander. I'm sure you're wondering why we've dispatched you early," this went without saying so the admiral didn't wait for a response before continuing, "Tayos IV was attacked this morning at around 0700 hours. By the time we received the distress call all communication had been lost. All we know is that they struck suddenly and with out warning."  
  
"Do we have any idea who it was?" the captain asked.  
  
"No. the colony's sensor net didn't register any approaching vessels. But they were attacked from multiple vectors, colony operations estimates that there were dozens of ships." Paris shifted uneasily for a moment but regained his composer in an instant. "I wish I had more to tell you, but that's all we know. Good luck, Captain, and keep us informed. Paris out." As the screen faded back to the UFP logo the pair sat in silence, letting the news sink in.  
  
"Do you want to talk about this?" Harry asked, afraid to let his gaze meet that of his friend's.  
  
"What is there to talk about?" she said simply as she backed away from the captain's chair and sat heavily on his couch.  
  
He closed his eyes for a moment as if he was fighting off a headache, "Cara, your parents are on that planet."  
  
"I know this is hard for you to understand, Harry, but not all families are as close as yours." She stood up suddenly. "Now with you're permission, I'll go inform Dr. Schneider. His sister lives there also and as I understand, they are close It would probably be best it he didn't find out by way of ship wide announcement."  
  
"Agreed," he nodded and she started for the door. "Oh and Cara," she paused at the sound of his voice, "I know you're more affected by this than you let on. If you want to talk, you know where to find me."  
  
She stepped forward causing the doors to open automatically and left with out saying a word and with out looking back.  
  
=/\=  
  
"I never questioned the logic of her taking her family out there." Dr. David Schneider sighed and gazed out the window in his office into the sickbay. The staff was keeping busy, rushing around, but he knew that they were just doing busy work, "They should be told, so they can prepare," prepare for what? They had no idea what they were going to find, but he began to stand anyway. He was stopped by Evans hand on his arm.  
  
"The Captain is going to make a ship wide announcement in a few minuets and we won't reach the Tayos system for several hours, there's plenty of time to prepare."  
  
The doctor sighted and sat back down, "She was... IS my little sister, I never should have let her go ... out there in the middle of nowhere with no back up for days. "He rubbed his hands over his face and then smiled faintly, "but she always had a mind of her own, if I had tried to stop her it only would have made her more determined.  
  
"Captain Kim to all hands..."  
  
=/\=  
  
Captains Log, Star Date 69840.3: The waiting is always the hard part. Amery glides thought space with an ease and a speed unlike any starship before her. But aboard her crew is restless, uneasy. We're flying blind. We have no way of knowing what we will find when we get there but we can be sure it wont be good. Minuets pass like days, hours like years. Waiting, always waiting.  
  
=/\=  
  
"Captain, we're within visual range."  
  
Kim straightened a slightly in his chair, "on screen" the planet loomed on screen as if it was much closer than it actually was. The devastation was obvious even from space.  
  
"Is anyone out there?" he asked softly  
  
"Scans show no evidence of any vessels in the area."  
  
"Of course not. Raise shields and bring weapons systems online." The captain ordered, "just because we cant see them doesn't mean they're not there." He looked at the planet for a moment, "Can you read any life signs on the surface?"  
  
Ensign Zale worked the controls for a moment, "I'm increasing power to the sensor array." He paused then looked up with a woeful expression, "I'm only reading a twelve lifesigns. I'm also reading traces of some sort of biochemical agent."  
  
"Send your findings to sickbay; we need to find out what we are dealing with. Commander prep an away team, our first priority is to find the survivors and get them out of there. Lieutenant Taine," The Captain turned to the half Batazoid chief of security, "I want you to see if you can access the colonies visual logs remotely. Maybe they will reveal something."  
  
=/\=  
  
Ensign Li reported to the shuttle bay as she had been instructed to by the security chief, as she crossed through the shuttle bay she recognized some of the shuttles shed test flown herself in her few short months at Utopia Plantain. She ran her hand over the sleek lines of a fifth generation Delta Flyer class shuttle, still cutting edge, no further out of the test runs than Amery herself. She found the chief along with a large security team at the far end of the bay and they were soon joined by a few stragglers.  
  
"All right, now that were all here, we can begin. The colony's visual logs show one of the alien shuttle crafts going down some where just out side of the colony," Lt. Brier Taine began, "now since we cant see it with the sensors and the tree cover prevents us for searching with shuttles we're going to have to do this the hard way." She took a few steps so that she was standing next to an Argo and she placed her hand on its hull, "This is an Argo, I'm sure your all familiar with the schematics. Were going to split up into five groups of three and search sector by sector. Unfortunately we're short pilots. Commander Evans is already on the surface helping with the search and rescue mission. Ensign Li and Crewman Klag will pilot the first two shuttles," Mitsu glanced over to the only other pilot present, a full blooded Klingon male, "Foster, T'Mil and Grant, you'll pilot the other three. Volar you're with me on team one. Teel, Claiborne team two; Hawkins, Tag team three; Ra'cho, Briggs, team four and Endsley, Williams your on team five. We will stay in constant communication, understood?" The crew nodded, "good, move out."  
  
"One last thing," Everyone looked at the sound of Dr. Schneider's voice, his shoes clicking softly on the shuttle bay floor as he approached them, "The agent they released on the surface a fast acting neurological virus. It has a short life span out side of a living host, and it seems to have run it course. But just incase, I'm inoculating all the away teams with an antiserum."  
  
"Fine, once your inoculated, Move out."  
  
=/\= 


End file.
